Quote:
Originally Posted by AK797
Just a bit of sushi trivia, the London based 3 Michelin star Araki restaurant just lost all 3 stars in the Guide this year. That is a very rare occurrence, Mr Araki has left but still you would think his chosen replacement would hold onto at least 2 of them.
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I heard rumours that it was because they didn't have time to sufficiently test between Araki-san's leaving in March and the new guide, but it's uncorroborated.
Although Marty is nowhere near as talented as his 'master', it is definitely still as good as, if not better, than Endo (new recipient of one star), and should have kept at least one and perhaps two stars. The atmosphere now is looser, less stuffy and, yes, less precise and punctilious, which I personally find disappointing. There was a great quote I heard, which said that the magic in sushi is all in that last 5%. The Araki no longer has that 5%. That said, I will still go back as I think it is still probably the best sushi in London, though no longer decisively.
There's also a question of tradition, expectations and, yes, racism - Marty is of Hong Kong origin, and many of the cooked dishes have a definitive Chinese twist to them under his direction which, under the puritanical auspices of the French jury, may have riled a few.